Japan's Version of Zippy Chippy ?

[Taro Toporific]

[img]http://images.google.com/images?q=tbn:6XMWBw04O_oC:http://www.failuremag.com/images/zippy_chippy.jp.[/img]Japan's Version of Zippy Chippy Has Become a National Hero
bloodhorse.com >> Racing --- 11/4/03 7:09:27 PM
The Nov. 10 issue of Newsweek magazine reports that Japan's latest equine hero is Haruurara, who has lost all 97 of her career starts. But, unlike America's perennial loser, Zippy Chippy, the story of Haruurara has grown to legendary proportions.... became a cult hero, as the Japanese people, in the midst of a slow economy, began to relate to Haruurara's shortcomings.
She has now become Japan's No. 1 lucky charm. Workers all over the country bet on her, then keep the losing tickets in the hope the tickets will ward off any bad luck and prevent them from getting laid off.... the Kochi horse racing union sold out 500 of Haruurara's lucky horsetail charms in three hours...

[leathernick]

All that "good luck" is not going to stop him from being somebodies katsudon later.

[kurohinge1]

Haru-chan makes it 100 !

... eight-year-old mare Haruurara sniffs a bouquet which was presented to her by fans at the race track in Kochi city, western Japan. With over 100 races without a win, Haruurara embodies the never-say-die spirit and has won fans' hearts, apart from helping save a local racecourse from bankruptcy. Photo: AFP

To make it big, you have to be very good or spectacularly bad.

[kurohinge1]

All that "good luck" is not going to stop him from being somebodies katsudon later.

Stop? Maybe not.
But it will definitely postpone the trip to the glue factory ...

KOCHI -- Haruurara, one of Japan's famous -- and most hopeless -- racehorses is set to make a debut on screen.

Tokyo-based film company Amanasukinema plans to turn the life of the Kochi racing horse, who has ironically gained huge popularity after failing to win 105 races in a row, into a movie by as soon as next spring. Filming is due to begin as early as September ...

... The film will be directed by Tokihisa Morikawa, known for "Wakamonotachi" and "Jiro Monogatari," while the screenplay will be produced by Takehiro Nakajima, who wrote the television drama "Shinju Fujin."

While the cast has yet to be decided, the plot will focus on the lives of trainer Dai Muneishi and racing association officials. Haruurara is expected to appear in the race scenes ...

[Taro Toporific]

Haru-chan makes it 100 !

To make it big, you have to be very good or spectacularly bad.

NHK News this morning devoted 15-farkquing minutes to this nag's big "no-win" yesterday. Sheesh.

Japan Enthralled by Losing Horse...
AP via Sunspot Tue Mar 23 2004 08:12:00 GMT+0900
..."Glorious Spring" -- or "Haru-urara" in Japanese -- was out doing what she does best Monday, losing her 106th consecutive race, even with Japan's top jockey on her back. More than 10,000 fans braved the rain to watch her come in 10th out of 11 horses....
....Kochi Racecourse, travel agents are making a killing off "Haru" tours, and her chestnut face adorns shirts, cups and other tourist trinkets...A pop song about her came out last week....
Her already legendary lack of speed has made betting tickets with her name on them talismans to guard against traffic accidents. And her face is being used as advertising space: She races with a pink "Hello Kitty" riding mask.

[Neo-Rio]

So let me get this straight.... people are being conned into wasting money on a losing horse.

Man, the yakuza couldn't even come up with such a good scam.

[Taro Toporific]

So let me get this straight.... people are being conned into wasting money on a losing horse.
Man, the yakuza couldn't even come up with such a good scam.

Get this. People lined up outside the track for hours before the race to bet. The racetrack had to close its doors at 2pm when it was filled over capacity. People were send to another fairgrounds 5 miles away to bet and watch the race on a big outdor screen.

According to reports by 6 am there were already 40-50 people waiting to enter the course. The race did not start until approximately 4.35 pm.....
Shortly after noon the Kochi Racing Association's Internet server crashed after receiving a huge number of access attempts.

http://www.harnesslink.com/www/Article.cgi?ID=10546

[kurohinge1]

Japan Enthralled by Losing Horse...
AP via Sunspot Tue Mar 23 2004 08:12:00 GMT+0900
..."Glorious Spring" -- or "Haru-urara" in Japanese -- was out doing what she does best Monday, losing her 106th consecutive race, even with Japan's top jockey on her back. More than 10,000 fans braved the rain to watch her come in 10th out of 11 horses....
....A pop song about her came out last week....

Haru-chan reminds me of Eddie "the Eagle" ...


I wonder if she'll be doing the after-dinner speaking thing, like Eddie, when she retires ... or maybe just a bit of relaxing at the beach ...

[kurohinge1]

Haru-chan makes it 100 !

To make it big, you have to be very good or spectacularly bad.

Spoilsport owner flogs Japan's hapless nag

... Haruurara has become hot property, almost single-handedly restoring the fortunes of the ailing Kochi Racing Association -- ironically by maintaining one of the worst losing streaks in racing history, never winning in one of her 112 starts.

Haruurara's hapless run of futility has earned the nag more off the course through merchandizing and movie rights than it would have ever dreamed possible of picking up on the track ...

And Haru-chan is now enjoying a jaunt in the country before the final "retirement race" ...

[GomiGirl]

Changing the name of the horse to "Soon-to-be-glue"????

[kurohinge1]

Changing the name of the horse to "Soon-to-be-glue"????

Haru-chan has one more chance ...

ISESAKI, Gunma -- Hapless Haruurara, Japan's most beloved racehorse that has failed to win one of her more than 110 races, will run her last race in March.

Haruurara has been out for a spell at a ranch in Tochigi Prefecture since September last year and will shortly return to Kochi Race Track on the island of Shikoku, western Japan.

"Her condition is not perfect, but I think she wants to run," Mihoko Ansai, the owner of Haruurara, said in Isesaki on Tuesday. "I hope she will win on Kochi Race Track."

Nine-year-old Haruurara will run her last race on March 21.

After that, there'll be a subtle name change to haru-uhu

[Taro Toporific]

Changing the name of the horse to "Soon-to-be-glue"????

Watch a horse in a pink Hello Kitty mask save Japan
The Verge | July 29, 2016

Shining-Star-of-Losers.jpg

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